Sofosbuvir will be out by October as it's fast tracked by the FDA and was submitted on April 8.
I went from stage 2 (of 6 stages ishak scale) to stage 5 in 3 years. I couldn't believe it either.
"My GI doctor is thinking of waiting for some new drugs to come out which he thinks will be in about 6 months."
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Your GI doctor is wrong. The new drugs will not come out in about 6 months. No one knows for sure when they will come out, but they definitely will not come out in 6 months.
I am hoping you get to see your Hepatologist soon and that you will be started on treatment soon so that you can get rid of this virus before it does any more damage to your liver and your body.
Best of luck.
Six months.
Six months is around October.
The new drugs will be available in October of 2013?
That is a good thing, that you got your GI checked out. This is such a hard time period, to try to figure out what to do, in terms of Treatment.
The old method is hard on cirrhotics, and the new methods aren't quite here yet. There are many new meds coming down the pipe-line. It is such a tough decision. There are also Clinical Research Trials going on, testing these new methods. You are doing a good job, giving it alot of thought, good luck
I guess I should of stated that the second opinion I am waiting for IS for treatment. My GI doctor is thinking of waiting for some new drugs to come out which he thinks will be in about 6 months. As much as I am scared TO start, I am also scared NOT to start.
"I just sit here and wonder how did I get from stage two fibrosis with no signs of cirrosis (cirrhosis) in 2007 to stage four cirrosis (cirrhosis) now??"
Unless it is on each end of the spectrum assessing fibrosis is anything but an exact science.
That said it used to be on this forum that when dx`d with F2 it is time to treat.
b
Thank you for you response. No I just had an upper GI and they just found an ulcer and some stomach problems due to what I believe was caused from lots of Tylenol due to some neck pain. But he said everything else looked good.
Hi Hector,
SO SO HAPPY to hear from you!! So what would be considered over the counter meds?
Liver fibrosis progression is not linear and it picks up speed as we age. There are many factors that go into liver fibrosis progression rate so I would not wonder about them. It is what it is. If you were Stage 2 fibrosis in 2007, you may have been Stage 2 all over the liver or you could have been Stage 2 in part of the liver (that they biopsied) and Stage 3 in another part. 2007 is 6 years ago. A lot can change in 6 years. Some people have gone from Stage 1-2 to Stage 4 cirrhosis in as little as 2-3 years. If your liver biopsy now shows Stage 4, then you do have cirrhosis. Even if only part of the liver is cirrhotic, you still have cirrhosis.
You had posted earlier that you have compensated cirrhosis and this is good. I know your platelets are low but the Hepatologist will monitor your platelets during Tx. Hopefully you will be able to start Tx soon and be rid of this virus. That is your main focus now.
Best of luck.
Well, a biopsy can be off by one stage, either way. Do you have any other signs of cirrhosis, like ascites, or verices? This would mean fluid collecting in the wrong places, like your belly and legs (ascites) and verices are veins that are bulging, that may burst, usually in the esophugus.
I think my Hep C advanced, when I went into menopause, because I have read that estrogen protects a womens' liver, during the child-bearing years. I also think Hep C tends to simmer for 20 yrs, and then advances.
I am so glad you have an appt with a Hepatologist, and a great attitude :)
The good news is you have early cirrhosis and still have time to treat the hepatitis C which is the reason you have liver disease in the first place. So please don't spend valuable time worrying about something you can't change. Take action now. Treat your hepatitis C as soon as you can. As cirrhosis progresses the odds of hep C cure decreases. You have the best odds you will ever have right now while you are treatment naive. Think positive.
Obviously no more alcohol or any other drugs (even over the counter meds) without approval of your liver specialist before taking them.
Good luck with your treatment!
Hector
I was just here and wonder how did I get from stage two fibrosis with no signs of cirrhosis in 2007 to stage four now??
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If you have Hepatitis C - Drinking Alcohol is like pouring gasoline on your
liver. As a senior member on this forum says often. Also, the progression of liver damage is differs from person to person. This is exactly why I decided to treat now and not wait for something better to come along. It could be years away for better treatment for certain Geno types like 1a. So if you
wait.... you're possible taking the chance of developing cirrhosis of the
liver. Drinking or not - Fibrosis has been known to progress to cirrhosis in
a relatively short time. The only way to stop the progression of Hepatitis C is
first "DON'T DRINK" and get treatment for Hepatitis C as soon as possible.
Best To You